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Ruben Amorim is not the only former Manchester United manager who is being outshone by Michael Carrick with his tactical approach at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick’s reign at Manchester United has been going from strength to strength and Ruben Amorim has been a ‘beating stick’ for what went wrong.
The 44-year-old United legend has made the ‘Amorim era’ at the Premier League club feel like a distant memory after his immediate success as interim head coach.
However, former United manager Amorim is not alone in being overshadowed by Carrick, as the same should be applied to ex-Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images Michael Carrick’s substitutions are putting Ruben Amorim to shame!
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Getty Images Michael Carrick’s Man Utd tactics with Noussair Mazraoui have put the spotlight on Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim
Noussair Mazraoui’s last two Premier League matches under Michael Carrick have brought him to the forefront of the Manchester United talking point in a big way.
Dealing with both injuries and suspensions, Carrick rolled the dice in a major call with Noussair Mazraoui by using him as a makeshift centre-back against Chelsea.
It worked in a big way after Mazraoui established a strong dynamic with Ayden Heaven in Man Utd’s 1-0 Premier League win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Fast-forward from the Man Utd vs Chelsea match and Carrick once again found an effective use of the 28-year-old Morocco international on Monday evening.
Carrick turned to Mazraoui at half-time in United’s encounter with Brentford and brought him on after the break for winger Amad Diallo at Old Trafford.
Mazraoui was once again the key to Carrick’s surprise plan after the Red Devils interim head coach pivoted his formation set-up in Man Utd’s win over Brentford.
Michael Carrick now has more wins than Ruben Amorim this season in seven fewer games! What does this tell you…?
Getty Images Michael Carrick’s strategic use of Noussair Mazraoui has shown the limitations of Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim
Erik ten Hag worked with Noussair Mazraoui at Ajax and the Man Utd and Morocco defender did impress in his debut season under the Dutchman at Old Trafford.
However, the former Man Utd manager could not effectively make Mazraoui into a ‘utility man’ in different positions, whether as a No 10, a left-back or midfielder.
Ruben Amorim, much like Ten Hag, never felt like he truly tapped into the tactical positioning of Mazraoui across different areas in his polarising system for United.
However, Carrick’s utilisation of Mazraoui has come off as natural at times and his decision to bring him on against Brentford only reinforced his pragmatic side.
“There were just certain spaces that we needed to cover better,” he said, as per Manchester United’s official website.
“It was purely a tactical decision. In the position we were in at half-time, we wanted to see the game through.”
Carrick is leaving no stone unturned with all of the options at his disposal in the United first-team squad and Mazraoui is the latest example of that point.
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